Witton Albion: 1Stalybridge Celtic: 1

Witton Albion: 1Stalybridge Celtic: 1

Decent PerformanceBy Debbie Taylor

It wasn’t quite all one-way traffic, but Celtic did look in control for much of the match. From the opening exchanges that saw Aidan Chippendale go agonizingly close with a free kick and the rapid counter attack that saw Adam Farrell force Danny Roberts into a decent stop, Celtic always looked the more likely to score. Half an hour in, the goal came with a lovely move that saw Farrell flick the ball into the path of Dale Wright with a back heel that completely wrong footed Witton. Wright culminated the move with a precision rifled low drive into the bottom corner.

Just before the interval, it should have been two, when Chippendale’s inch perfect curling cross was met by Farrell, his effort catching the top crossbar and going to safety.

Just before the hour, Witton registered their first real chance, with Lee Cropper firing narrowly wide when it looked easier to score, and Celtic responded with Steve Tames cracking shot deflected round the post and a curling free kick from Bohan Dixon that was extremely close.

In their best period of the match, Witton found an equaliser. After Dean Warburton had fired across the face, moments later, he did it again, this time, Lee Cropper was racing in, and side footed home from close range.

Celtic could have snatched it at the death when John Shaw got a decent thumping header on a late corner, but diverted the ball wide.

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